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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27626429">Honey and Papaya</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scrilly/pseuds/Scrilly'>Scrilly</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Undertale (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, Alcohol, Amnesia, Angst, But it's ok if you haven't read them, Cuddles, Curious Reader, Experiments, F/M, Healthy Relationships, Loose ties to other Works I've made, Magicians- Characters, Not those Macigians, OC Monsters - Freeform, Protective Papyrus, Reader has female parts, Reader-Insert, Smut, Swaptale - Freeform, Sweet Sans, Temporary Amnesia, Weed, cute sans, everyones friends - Freeform, good vibes, mind-control, not for Papyrus, reader is female, slow-burn, understood consent, underswap - Freeform, undertale - Freeform, until it gets serious</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 17:02:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,516</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27626429</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scrilly/pseuds/Scrilly</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Run.</p><p>Run for your life.</p><p>When you're rescued by some strangers, your life becomes full of wonder and inspiration as you rediscover who you are. Still, you know who you are. </p><p>Yes. You. Reader. </p><p>It's alright if you've forgotten. All will be explained in time.<br/>In this strange new world, how will things work out in this life?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Papyrus/Reader, Swap!Papyrus/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>51</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Found</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>By popular demand! When I asked what people wanted in my first fic,<br/>Oh the HuSansity,<br/>most people wanted an UnderSwap story!</p><p>I hope everyone likes it! &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Make sure she doesn’t get away!”</p><p>Snow-covered the forest. The wind howled. Ice smacked your face. Leaves hissed as you ran for your life. <i><b>Tip Tip Tip Tip Tip</b></i>. The sound of your bare feet smacking against the snow rang in the night as clouds of breath streaked past you. Your body was unprotected from the chill by a white tattered, silk gown. The air stabbed into your skin. Panting, you pushed bushes out of your way, the foliage thick and heavy from the snow. Your lungs burned as the cold seeped into your flesh. Lights flashed in view of your path and you started to panic. Angry voices rang out into the night, the lights focusing on your back. They were close!</p><p>So many branches and roots were hidden in the snow. They seemed to grab at your ankles as you passed. Cuts burned your legs. Soon the land gave way to air. You toppled over a shallow cliff, scrambling down the face haphazardly. Pushing yourself off the bank, your legs pumped instinctively. Dogs barked in the distance. The crunching of boots was getting louder. </p><p>Soon the woods disappeared. A clearing. At its edge were large masses you knew to be buildings. Shelter! A quick look back blinded you with a flood of shadows and lights. Your feet stumbled. The snow gave way to hard rock, and your feet aching as the cold chewed at your soles. You wince, tears running down your frosted face. “There she is! She’s heading into the city! Stop her!” a familiar male voice barked in the background. Lightning cracked through your veins. </p><p>The rocks became slabs and a corridor lined with filth opened between the buildings. Echos multiplied the mob. In desperation you toppled bins, broken furniture, even threw rocks, creating as many obstacles for your pursuers as you could. The lights refracted over your only exit. Almost there!</p><p>Your arm was jerked back by a strong grip. “Oh no you don’t! It’s too dangerous for you to be out here! We’re going back,” that familiar man sneered angrily. His green eyes were more chilling than the snow. </p><p><b>SMACK</b> </p><p>You struck the man across the face, gritting your teeth. He hissed at the impact. Before he could recover you kicked him in the shins, punching at his arm, doing whatever you could to getaway. Your moves were sluggish, and your body wouldn’t work the way you wanted it to, but you pushed yourself as hard as you could. Just as the man grabbed for your other arm, your leg found something soft. He let out a painful yelp and crumpled, giving you time to spin around and bolt back out of the corridor between the buildings. </p><p> As you emerged, the snow and ice returned. Your feet slipped and slid against the sloshy snow, your muscles giving out. The snow seemed to be falling slower now. With a quick glance back, the lights that had been flooding the world seemed to have simply vanished. You squinted, blinking as the frost seemed to seep into your eyes. Panting heavily, you stumbled your way through the snow. </p><p>One of the buildings in front of you glowed a warm pink, and the longer you looked at it the blurrier it became. So close. You were so close. An orange blob emerging from a dark wall to present a single flame. It was so very small, but it flickered brightly enough to mesmerize you. Trembling, you tried to speak. Your throat seemed to rip apart. “Ha-,” you called out, but it was only a whisper. You squeaked in pain, flinching hard enough to nearly knock you backward. The cold was gripping you harder than before. The world was growing dark. You had only made it halfway through the snow line, but you were sure the orange blur noticed you. With the last of your strength, you reach out your hand, knees buckling. “Ha…p.. Ple-,” was all you could manage as the world shifted sideways and you were embraced with cold. </p><p> </p><p>Tired.</p><p> </p><p>You were so very tired.</p><p>Everything was so cold.</p><p>So very cold.</p><p>Your mind was engulfed in black.</p><p>Then it became blacker.</p><p>And blacker.</p><p>And <b>blacker still</b>. </p><p>And</p><p>Y<br/>
O<br/>
U</p><p>F<br/>
E<br/>
L<br/>
L</p><p>I<br/>
N<br/>
T<br/>
O</p><p>N<br/>
O<br/>
T<br/>
H<br/>
I<br/>
N<br/>
G<br/>
.<br/>
.<br/>
.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Fire ripped through your body. </p><p>You struggled to breathe, your vocal cords burning your throat as hot silence poured out. Your body thrashed and smacked against hands that were pushing you back into the flames. Your skin seemed to sizzle the further you dipped into the fire. Clacking could be heard all around you.</p><p>“H-hey calm down! I know it feels bad, but it’s helping! Settle down!” a brassy voice urged, distressed.</p><p>“Brother, I told you we should have woken her up first!” a childish voice scolded, “She is frightened!”</p><p>The voices were not familiar. You froze, shrinking into yourself as you slowly opened your eyes. The voices stilled. You were in a bath, still in your silk gown. The bath water felt so hot, but the longer you sat the cooler it became. The water was a milky grey, blood from your legs adding a dingy brown. You lowered your legs into the water and felt the burning sensation again, but like before it cooled the longer you were submerged. How curious. </p><p>You remembered you weren’t alone. Your eyes trailed up the shadow of who was trying to push you into the water. You felt your face pale. In front of you was… was… a corpse! A skeleton! Their skull was longer than you would have imagined. Your stomach dropped when the skeleton seemed to register your feelings, its bone showing concern. A shiver rippled through you when you realized that it had two hands on your shoulders… or what was left of their hands! The hairs on the back of your neck stood straight up. Heart pounding, your eyes hesitantly wandered to your left. A second corpse! Only it was rounder and more true to life. “B-brother, she doesn’t look so good,” the smaller skeleton spoke.</p><p>The skeleton spoke.</p><p>The. Skeleton. S-spoke..</p><p>The world spun and you felt your eyes roll to the back of your head. </p><p>You fainted.</p><p> Sounds invaded your senses as you slipped out of consciousness.</p><p>“Alright, this should be enough to keep her from getting frostbite.”</p><p>“She was horrified when she saw us! How are we supposed to assist the human if they are so fragile!”</p><p>“Quiet Sans!”</p><p>“But brother!”</p><p>“She’s just in shock. Go warm up some blankets for her and get her a change of clothes.”</p><p>“Wha-!? We can’t just ch-change her c-c-clothes!”</p><p>“SANS! Don’t make it weird! She needs dry clothes!”</p><p>“Grrr, fine! I will prepare the coziest of blankets for the human so that she can make a speedy recovery!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Nothing.</p><p>The world was an inky black. Nothing was all you knew. This desolate nothing. You had been here so many times before, forced to be in this nothing…</p><p> </p><p>
  <i>
    <b>What an interesting situation you have found yourself in my dear.</b>
  </i>
</p><p> </p><p>Your eyes snapped open. </p><p>W-what was that voice just now? </p><p>As the world came back into view, a light beamed down above you, and you felt cozy and warm. Looking around, you noticed that you were on a large bed. The covers were fuzzy, a heavy comforter pulled over the top of it. Your pillow was fluffed around your head. Blinking, you tried to move and winced. All of your limbs tingle painfully.</p><p>It seemed you weren’t going anywhere anytime soon. You looked around and found comfort in the fullness of where you were staying. The room was an auburn orange with wood flooring. A large pink rug was laid out in the middle of the floor with a low table. In front of you, there was a sliding door closet, a pile of clothes falling out of it. Large pictures lined the walls, of things you had never seen before. Next to the bed was a large dresser, along with some black boxes covered by a sort of mesh in the front. Then there was a large, weirdly shaped log with metal threads woven to its face. Just where were you? Were you captured? This wasn’t at all like-</p><p>You wince. Pain shot through your head, rattling your conscious thought. Just… how did you get here? As the question manifested, a door you hadn’t realized was there opened. The tall skeleton backed into the room, carrying a tray of drinks and tilting his head to speak into a brick. “Yeah yeah, I know how to deal with hypothermia. You’re acting like we didn’t live in the snow for twenty years.” It sounded like a boy. Skeletons were just dead people after all. How did he move without muscles? How was he speaking? The more you looked at him, the more you realized that he wasn’t an ordinary skeleton. His body was slender, shaped like a regular person’s body would be. A form-fitting black tank top hugged his bones, a fit stomach pressing against the cloth. Odd. An orange hoodie was wrapped around his midsection, and he wore grey sweatpants. What does a skeleton need clothes for? And why did it seem like he had flesh under those clothes?</p><p>“Tch, I’m hanging up now. Finish up at the gym. See you when you get home,” he moved closer to where you were laying and sat the tray down on the floor before pulling the brick from his shoulder and pressing a button.</p><p>You wondered what exactly that brick was and why he was talking to it. </p><p>He sat with a sigh and leaned his back against the bed. When his sockets looked in your direction, they widened. The two of you stared at each other for a moment before he blinked. Skeletons… blink? “Y-you’re awake,” he murmured, shifting small lights within his sockets to and fro. Your eyes fluttered from the warmth that was encompassing your being. Opening your mouth to say something, you winced painfully as the air hit the back of your throat. </p><p>The skeleton hurriedly turned his form and faced you. “Hey, don’t push yourself. The skin of your esophagus is probably very irritated. What were you doing out in that blizzard? You scared me half to death out there kid.” His features seemed amused with a hint of worry. A skeletal hand reached over the bedside, feeling over your head. The bone was cold and you enjoyed the minor relief. “You still have a fever. You don’t seem like you’re able to talk, but can you move?”</p><p>You tried to sit up but found you could only roll over to your side. Wincing again, you settled against the bed, softly shaking your head. The skeleton let out a sigh, sagging his shoulders while pouting. “Well, rolling over is better than nothing. Can you feel your fingers and toes?” He put an arm against the bed, resting his head in his hand. You got a better look at him. His face was lean, his jawline sharp. Even though he was still a little scary, the way his teeth seemed to smile at you with ease had you giving a soft smile back. You slowly wiggled your fingers and toes. They felt fine. Your eyes rolled from your fingers back up to the skeleton and found him staring at you again as if fixated, so you nodded to show you had been paying attention. </p><p>Something clicked for him, his eyes widening suddenly. You thought you heard him swallow, though it was a strange sound. He didn’t have anything to swallow with. “That’s... That’s good. Uh...um,” the skeleton let his hand slip behind his skull, scratching it lightly. It made a dull grating noise. “Sorry about uh, scaring you earlier. I guess a Human wouldn’t expect a Monster to save them, huh?” he seemed to joke, but the phrase gave you goosebumps.</p><p>You were unsure of how you could respond. A frown smeared itself on your face. Did that mean he was a m-ma… monster? You felt yourself sinking into the blankets, your aching body going rigid. That would explain why a skeleton would be walking and talking like this. Your recoil surprised him. He sat up straighter, leaning away from you a bit. “H-hey, no I didn’t mean to scare you. Do you… not know what a Monster is?” Turning away from you, he seemed to mentally kick himself, laying his hand down and fisting it against the bed before looking back to you, “Uh, shoot, I haven’t even introduced myself. My name’s Papyrus. I’m the one you reached out to when you ran into the street, remember?” he tilted his head, pointing at himself goofily, “I… uhm. Well, I’m a friend.”</p><p>“Puh,” your voice came out hoarse, and you found your hands against your neck as you curled into yourself. It hurt. You squirmed from the pain, meekly looking up to Papyrus uncertain. Your voice just wouldn’t work. </p><p>Papyrus hissed and knitted his brow, putting a hand on your shoulder. “Hey! Stop that,” his grip was firm but gentle as he helped you onto your back again, “Don’t try to talk. It’ll only make it worse. Here, I brought you something to warm you up a little more. Let me help you sit up.” Before you could protest, he wrapped his boney arm under your form and lifted you with ease. If it weren’t for your fuzzy mind, you think you would have been impressed. Embarrassed at the very least. Even still, the sudden shift in position made you dizzy and you fell against his chest. His form froze. When you looked up at him, trying to show you were sorry, Papyrus looked away. “F- uh, sorry about that,” he quickly propped you up with your pillow, holding hands out in case you fell forward. “Stay right there. I’ll help. J-Just… just take it easy, ok?” he laughed nervously. Your form slouched lazily. Everything felt like it was in a haze, your head aching.</p><p>Your friend had turned around for a quick moment before swiveling back with a mug of something. Steamrolled off the lip, and you wondered if it would be too hot for you. Papyrus must have seen your concern and looked at the drink, probably thinking the same thing. His brow knitted, his free hand tapping against his teeth as he thought. You were starting to think that Papyrus was very odd. His eyes flicked over to you before quickly going back to the floor, hand shoving itself against his teeth as if he were trying not to say something. Eventually, he removed his hand, “I’ll be right back. Don’t try to move, ok? Stay right there.”</p><p>You were too tired to feel confused. Instead, you gave a nod to show you understood and he set the drink back down on the floor. Papyrus quickly left the room without shutting the door behind him. It was getting harder and harder to stay awake. Your eyes felt heavy. Just what was going on? Where were you? How did you get here? </p><p>You blink for a moment.</p><p>Who were you?</p><p>Had you been here all along? Have you known this monster person for a long time? Is that why he had been worried about you before? The more you tried to remember, the heavier exhaustion pulled on the lids of your eyes. Papyrus said there was a… Blizzard. What was a blizzard? Was the blizzard why you couldn’t speak? Papyrus mentioned something about a… sock-o-fax being irritated. You tried to lift your hand, but it wouldn’t go higher than your legs. </p><p>Just when you decided to close your eyes as you waited, the sound of footsteps came from outside of the dark doorway. Papyrus rounded the corner into the room and kicked the door shut, but stopped after he did. He looked at the door, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of his skull, but he quickly shook away whatever thought he was having. Your friend knelt beside the bed again, plopping ice in the drink that had been waiting on the floor, along with a straw. “Here, this will help. Can you hold it?” </p><p>Having already tried lifting your hands before, you shook your head and showed Papyrus that you could not. He took in a deep breath, holding it with uncertainty. His eyes seemed to beg your hands to lift higher, but when he looked at your apologetic grimace, he sighed heavily. “Yeah, alright,” he talked through his teeth, showing a grimace of his own, “open your mouth for me.” His brown knitted as he pinched the straw between two fingers. </p><p>You parted your lips, taking breaths through your nose so you would not cause yourself pain again. Papyrus gave a soft gulp noise again, bringing the drink to your mouth. When your lips closed over the straw, a soft orange glow came from your friend’s cheeks and you wondered if all skeletons glowed. The taste of the drink was sweet and smooth, the dark liquid warming up your stomach and chest instantly. You opened your mouth in surprise, looking over to Papyrus with wide eyes.</p><p>He raised a brow, his orange glow dissipating a fraction. “You… like it?” </p><p>You nodded as rapidly, as rapidly as you could, which was rather sluggishly once you thought about it. Still, you went back to nursing the straw with enthusiasm. You didn’t even notice the skeleton's skull being engulfed in that curious glow. When you were done with the drink, you licked the excess off your lips and smiled happily at the skeleton. He wasn’t looking at you, however. In fact, he seemed angry, but not at you. Papyrus was pressing the heel of his palm against his teeth, eyes closed as if he were concentrating hard, brow furrowed and causing creases against his skull. When he noticed you were no longer drinking, the anger disappeared and was quickly replaced with an easy-going grin. “You feel any better?” he asked, moving his face so that it rested in his offending hand. </p><p>Just as you opened your mouth to try to express yourself, Papyrus shot his hand out to keep it shut. Your eyes went wide, turning your head with quivering surprise. “You’re going to hurt yourself,” he chuckled, looking uneasy but holding his grin, “I told you already, talking probably isn’t good for you right now.” His hand slowly removed itself but hovered in front of you. Was he thinking of doing something else? Your eyes trailed from Papyrus’s hand to his face. The two of you looked at each other for a moment before you nodded to show you understood. Papyrus sighed and looked away from you, shaking his head. </p><p>You didn’t have time to react. Papyrus quickly picked you up and lay you back down. You were confused. Just now, your limbs didn’t tingle as they had before. A part of you wanted to try to move them again, but as soon as your head hit the pillow the weight of your eyes was back full force. There was a rumbling beside you, which you were sure was Papyrus saying something to you, but you weren’t able to concentrate enough to understand what it was. </p><p>Everything was just so warm and comforting. You felt safe, and Papyrus was there to make sure you stayed safe.</p><p>Before you knew it, you had fallen into a half-sleep, smiling slightly at the warmth.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Name</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Papyrus paced the floor of his room, fingers racking over his skull. He needed a hit from his bowl, a shot of whisky, something! Anything to keep him from having to be sober for this. </p><p>He had been at Muffet's to hang out with some friends. Being on the Surface made everyone uneasy, especially with the Queen trying to talk with a local Human government to integrate with top-side society. After winning a hand at poker, he wanted to get a breather. To look at the snow and feel a little nostalgia. It was so refreshing to see a blizzard with a moon behind the clouds. The actual moon, not just dusty old crystals shimmering from the abnormal climate. Just one cigarette in the familiar but new world. </p><p>When he saw you he thought you were a ghost. Nothing unusual. A lot of Monsters had been hiding on the Surface after the war, so it wasn’t new to see a fresh face trying to reintegrate with Monster Villages. So… well, maybe not a ghost, but a decent looking banshee. You were so pale, walking lifelessly in the middle of the deserted street with the wind blowing so hard, wearing so little. It was lucky he saw you at all! </p><p>Then you fell. Papyrus dug the heels of his palms into his sockets remembering how the snow shifted under your weight. You were a solid person! His magic did a freefall. Never had he felt such an intense sense of horror that spurred him to act without thinking. He had scrambled into the road, tripping over the ice just to get to you. </p><p>A Human. In Monsterton. You looked like death. What had happened to you? Why were you out in the snow? And where exactly had you come from? There was nothing but forest behind Monsterton! </p><p>Papyrus dragged his fingers down his face, leaning his skull against a wall. There was something else. From the moment he saw your face… he just couldn’t stop looking. He knew who you were. At least… he had seen pictures of you. But you couldn’t be <i>you</i>! There was just no way. And if he was right… you were dangerous. Impossibly dangerous! Saving you could ruin everything the Queen and every monster on the Surface was working so hard to achieve! He cautiously looked behind him.</p><p>You were sleeping soundly in his bed. Your skin was cracked and red. If he didn’t know you were alive and well he would have thought you were a doll. A very soft, very cold, very pretty...</p><p>
  <b>*th-thump*</b>
</p><p>Papyrus smacked himself. <i>Get it together man! You’re imagining things! She’s just a girl you found in the middle of the street. She probably ran away from home or something. Yeah, that made a lot more sense. Humans run away from their families all the time, why think she’s someone she couldn’t possibly be?</i> Clutching the chest of his shirt, Papyrus took a deep breath. What was he going to do? Once you were in good health, then what? He should just put you out, leave you with some nice monster who would take very good care of you until you’re able to tell them where you were from. </p><p>A pain rang in his bones as the thought crossed him. Just what was going on with him? Why? Why was he having this… reaction to you? With a heavy sigh, Papyrus sunk to the floor and sprawled out over his plush rug. He folded his arms over his sockets and tried not to notice the thrumming of his magic. </p><p>
  <i>I’d give anything to not be sober for this!</i>
</p><p>“Brother! I, the magnificent Sans, have returned!” The sound of the front door swinging open made Papyrus wince. He had told Sans to hurry home, but he wasn’t quite ready for it. He wanted to just lay here and not face anything right now. With another heavy sigh, Papyrus lifted himself up and quietly left you sleeping. Scratching his head as he came down the stairs, he was surprised that Sans was just standing in front of the doorway, not zipping around the house as usual. Seeing him in his grey crop top that read “cool guy” and blue biker shorts made Papyrus roll his eyes. </p><p>“How was the gym?” Papyrus droned, growing tired from his conflicted feelings.</p><p>Sans stood somberly, fists balled. “It was a tougher routine today. I actually broke a sweat, you know?” his voice was chipper as always, but Papyrus could see that his brother was struggling with his own feelings. Housing a human, against their will as he must have thought, had to be weighing heavily on him. </p><p>Papyrus stood over his brother, looking down at him and placing a hand on his slightly tilted downward skull. Sans looked up, his cheery facade breaking and showing the worry and uncertainty Papyrus had figured. Papyrus quickly put on the warmest smile he could, “They woke up today.”</p><p>“<i>GASP!</i> REALLY!? THEN THE COMFIEST OF BLANKETS AND PAJAMAS WERE SUPER EFFECTIVE! I TOLD YOU THAT YOUR ROOM WOULD BE THE WARMEST AND MOST PLEASANT FOR THE HUMAN!” Sans beamed, jumping up and down excitedly. </p><p>“Heh, you were right bro,” Papyrus knelt down to his brother’s height and gently stroked his skull, “and they were able to drink the hot chocolate that you suggested too. They seemed to really like it.” Sans’s eyes seemed to turn to stars at the thought, his gloved hands cupping his cheekbones with absolute glee. He bounced happily. “They should be better soon and then we can find her a place to live for a while. You can help me vet who takes care of her, alright?” </p><p>To his surprise, Sans stilled under his hand. His excitable expression became strained and he slowly moved from Papyrus’s touch. “Do we… do we have to send her away?” Sans asked, looking at his blue sneakers. “She just got here.”</p><p>“Sans, she’s here because she’s sick and Asgore is away with Queen Toriel to make arrangements for all Monsters. Someone is probably looking for her. There might be a family out there that has no idea she’s missing. Finding her a Monster home until she gets her bearings is the best we can do.” Even as he said it out loud, he felt himself getting more and more tired from how much he wanted to agree with his brother. Still, if he was right about you, keeping you here wouldn’t be good. </p><p>When Sans looked up again, Papyrus saw those same stars in his sockets from before. His hands balled in excitement as he jogged in place, Sans gasped, “Then! Then we can be her Monster family! She already knows us and is already here! Please brother? Please? Can we keep her here?”</p><p>Papyrus grimaced. Stifling a groan, he tentatively flicked his eyes towards the stairs. He couldn’t deny he liked the idea. He closed his eyes to think, but Sans ripped through his thoughts. “Please brother? We could create a guest bedroom between your room and mine! We can get her new clothes and make her look super cute! I will even stop complaining about all your dirty clothes scattered around the house! Please please please please!!” Sans jumped up and down, his toes tipping as he reached as high as he could go before he bent his knees to rocket himself upward again. Papyrus’s hand met his face and he dragged his palm over the bridge of his nose to his teeth, slowly wrapping his phalanges around his mouth.</p><p>If he said no, Sans would want to know why. </p><p>Sighing heavily, and hiding his worry with another easy grin, Papyrus chuckled at his excitable little brother. “Alright, alright. She can stay, but if we hear someone’s been asking about her she has to go with them. Got it?” Sans vigorously nodded his head and let out a squeal. </p><p>“Oh boy oh boy oh boy! I have to go and tell Chara! They will be most happy to hear a new human is in town!” </p><p>Just as Sans turned to bolt out the door, Papyrus caught him by the back of his shirt. “Ah, ah, ah. Not so fast. We can’t go telling everyone just yet. First, we have to learn more about her and make sure she’s not going to hurt anybody.”</p><p>Sans tried to squirm out of Papyrus’s grip, but when he couldn’t he pouted and crossed his arms. “I do suppose that makes sense brother,” he mumbled, “Do not worry! For I, the magnificent Sans, am great at keeping secrets!” Whipping around with a youthful smile, Sans gave Papyrus a thumbs up. </p><p>Just then, the two of them heard a thud come from upstairs. Papyrus nearly dropped Sans, fumbling with him as he skipped to the ground. “She’s awake!” Sans called, running upstairs without a second thought. Papyrus took a deep breath and stood taller as he watched his brother go towards his bedroom. </p><p>He really shouldn’t be sober for this. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Switch POV</p><p> </p><p>Your left arm and leg erupted in tingles. As you tried to push yourself back up, your limbs wobbling, the smaller skeleton burst into the room. Peering over your shoulder, you saw his round face full of surprise. “Brother! Did you place her at the edge of the bed? She fell!” the smaller skeleton piped, kneeling next to you. You tried to shake your head and explain, but your throat burned even as you mouthed the first syllables. After having that yummy drink, your arms and legs didn’t feel as heavy. At the time, it had seemed reasonable to try to get up and test out your legs, but unfortunately they were weaker than they felt. The smaller skeleton tried to pick you up, but he couldn’t lift you as easily as Papyrus could. His phalanges caused the tingles to become more painful. Just as you winced from the contact, Papyrus emerged.  </p><p>“Hey, hey, easy! You could hurt her, Sans,” Papyrus scolded. Kneeling down and scooping you up with both arms, he laid you back in bed. “She was probably trying to walk around after having that hot chocolate. Weren’t you? Thought you could walk, ey?” There was that soft grin again. You couldn’t help but smile back, nodding with some relief that he had understood your intentions. </p><p>The smaller one, Sans, was not having it. “Did you not explain the healing properties of magic food, brother?” he puffed, his short stature like that of a child. Healing properties? Your eyes flickered from one brother to the other, Papyrus scratching the side of his mandible as he thought about it. He hadn’t told you about that. What was magic food anyway? The drink you had earlier didn’t seem very… magical. Just pleasantly warm. Sans gave his brother a knowing look, his brow raised like this was all very simple and shouldn’t have needed reminding. </p><p>With a sigh, Papyrus pulled the covers over you and smiled back at his brother, just as he had with you. For some reason, you got the impression that this smile was not genuine. “I knew I was forgetting something,” he chuckled, “I guess I should’ve mentioned it earlier. Do you want to tell her?”</p><p>You wouldn’t have believed that a skeleton’s eyes could grow so large, the little lights within Sans’s sockets twinkling like stars. His grin widened as he scooted to the side of the bed. “Oh boy, oh boy! Human, you would never guess this! When you drank that magic hot cocoa it was able to heal some of your wounds from the blizzard!” he beamed, “It will not heal everything, however, so you must take your time and rest! Do not try to move until you are one-hundred-and-ten percent sure you are better, alright? We do not want you to hurt yourself.” As each word left his teeth, his small skull inched closer and closer to you until Sans was practically leaning over your nearly limp body. </p><p>Unable to say anything back, you nod so that he knows you understood. “Oh! I am so excited to meet a new Human!” Sans shot back down to his knees. Trying to keep track of his movements was making you dizzy, “What should we call you? What is your name?”</p><p>You could only stare at him. He didn’t know your name? You looked to Papyrus, who raised a brow. When your eyes fell on Sans again, you could only shake your head. If they didn’t know… why were they helping you? Just who were you? Why had you been in that- </p><p>Pain shot through your head, making you wince into the pillow. “Can she not tell us her name?” Sans asked his brother, worried. </p><p>Papyrus hummed. “Her throat is burned from the cold, so she can’t talk. Maybe she doesn’t know how to tell us.” Still, he knelt beside Sans, putting a hand over your head. The coolness of his bone made you sigh appreciatively, but it was quickly taken away. Before you could show your disgruntlement, Papyrus was sitting you up. Your hands found his forearms- or… whatever bones those were as you were unsure of what he was doing. </p><p>“Easy there,” Papyrus huffed a bit startled, that familiar orange glow pricking his cheekbones, “I just want to check something real quick, alright?” Your eyes looked to the blankets, unsure, but you nodded. Papyrus let one hand drift from your shoulders to your neck and up the back of your head. The way his hand moved made your cheeks itch. He massaged parts of your scalp with a studious gaze, turning your head one way, then another. When he was finished, he cupped his teeth in his hand. You were beginning to wonder if this was something Papyrus did when he was thinking to himself. “She hasn’t hit her head,” he murmured to himself, “but judging by how confused she looked when you asked, maybe she has amnesia.”</p><p>“Wha! Amnesia!?” Sans blurted out, scrunching the sheets in his small fists. He looked at you with more worry than you thought you could handle. He seemed to care a whole lot about you even though the two of you may have just met. “What is amnesia?” Sans asked with less concern, looking back up to Papyrus and your eyes followed. </p><p>You wanted to know the answer as well.</p><p>While his expression was relaxed, you could hear the stress in his voice as he explained. “Amnesia is when someone forgets everything. She doesn’t know what Monsters are. I spooked her a bit earlier,” Papyrus scratched the back of his head. </p><p>“Did not know of Monsters!? How is that even possible!? I thought Humans talked about Monsters all the time!” Sans chirped, his cheeks getting a little puffy from a subtle accusation. It was apparent that Sans didn’t believe you didn’t know anything about Monsters, or that you couldn’t remember your name. “Here, maybe you just need something to write on!” Sans raced out of the room and was back before you could register he was really gone. He held a stick and a large white tissue, though it was denser than other tissues. Sans pushed the items into your hands and slid a flat board underneath the tissue. You stared at the tissue, then back at them, unsure. “Go on,” Sans pulled the hand with the stick over the tissue, “write your name out. Then we will know what to call our new friend!” </p><p>Scrunching your brow, you looked back to the stick, then to the tissue, then to Sans, shaking your head. He nodded enthusiastically back at you, and when you eyed Papyrus he only shrugged. What would you write? Fisting the stick, you let the pink end run over the thick tissue. </p><p>Papyrus let out a snort. “No no no!” Sans huffed, “Like this!” He took the stick from you and flipped it over. You watched as he created some curving and angular shapes before handing it back to you. “S-A-N-S, Sans. That’s my name, see?” he pointed out each letter as he read them, looking to see if you were paying attention. Following along you nodded. </p><p>“S-..Sa…,” you gagged as the sounds formed. Papyrus knelt beside the bed and put his fingers over your lips, surprising you. He only shook his head and gave you what seemed like an authoritative glare, the other hand pointing to your throat before he sat back again. Right. Your Socks-o-fax. </p><p>“Don’t push her too much. Judging by how she tried to write, she might not know what a pencil is. Hell, maybe she doesn’t know how to write at all.”</p><p>“Papyrus! Swears!” </p><p>Pencil. So that’s what the stick was. </p><p>Papyrus gently took the sti-... pencil from you and began writing out something else. Sans eyed it and gave Papyrus a deadpanned stare before swiping the tissue from you and ripping it up. “Alright, with that gone, we still face a singular problem,” Sans whined, putting a finger to his teeth. </p><p>“What’s that bro,” Papyrus hummed, leaning on one hand against the mattress. You leaned closer to Papyrus to get a better look at Sans, not wanting to strain yourself with trying to keep up with him. It seemed to spook Papyrus as he promptly lifted his head and sat up straighter. </p><p>Sans sighed angrily, “We do not know what to call her! What if she gets into trouble and we are too far away to grab her in time? Surely a name is too useful not to have!”</p><p>You nodded in response, looking over to a perturbed Papyrus. He noticed you staring at him and quickly turned his head away. With a heavy sigh, Papyrus scratched his skull, unaware of the look Sans was giving him. “Oh, ho, ho,” Sans’s smirk stretched wider, “I see indeed what is going on here.”</p><p>Papyrus snapped his attention to the smaller skeleton. You blinked a few times before also looking over to Sans. “And what exactly is going on here, bro?” the taller skeleton hummed. Instead of his sincere and kind tone, you could hear the anger behind it, almost taunting Sans to speak his mind. Sans didn’t seem to notice. </p><p> </p><p>“I have the perfect name for her!” he proclaimed, striking a pose so that the bandana on his neck flapped in the wind majestically, “Such a name you could never forget, Papyrus! So lovely a name, why, I think my dear brother will whisper it for the rest of his days.” He winked at you.</p><p>Sans gave Papyrus a rye grin as he beckoned you to sit up, peeking at his brother from one eye. Papyrus, who seemed to understand what the smaller skeleton was implying, fisted the bedsheets beside you. You didn’t understand. Why did he seem angry? Or are you just imagining it? Instead of investing your mind with worry, you allowed yourself to be excited about your new name! Shaking both fists with excitement, you eagerly waited for Sans to continue as you watched between the two brothers. </p><p>“Careful bro,” Papyrus hummed in a lower voice, “You don’t know what you’re up to.”</p><p>“Oh, but I must insist, brother,” Sans squeaked, his grin becoming cheesy, “Are you ready for your new name Human!?” You nodded excitedly, wiggling yourself side to side like a worm to show how excited you were without overworking your tender limbs. It earned a chuckle from Papyrus, though half-hearted. “Very well!” Sans clapped his hands together and took the pencil from his brother, standing tall yet still finding himself a few inches shorter than you, “From this day forward you will be known as Honey! The sweet and tart!” </p><p>As he spoke, Sans let the pencil fall from one shoulder to the next, ending on your forehead. You grinned and suppressed a giggle. Who knew getting a name would be this fun? Papyrus, on the other hand, was not having fun. In fact, he seemed to lose a little color in his already white bone, groaning slightly as his hands found his sockets. He did not seem amused or pleased with your new name, but you decided that you were going to like it. After all, with a name like Honey, life could only be sweet.</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Everything's New</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 3</p><p>The soft sound of twittering outside woke you the next day. At least, it must be the next day. Opening your eyes, you could see a dim light filling the sky from the window towards the back of the room, painting everything in a cool orange. It all felt so cozy. You stretched and pushed yourself up, testing the strength of your arms. They seemed pretty sturdy, a lot more reliable than the previous night, and there wasn’t a single tingle. Taking a deep breath, you moved your legs to the edge of the bed, pushing the heavy covers off you. <i>Even if I fall, I still need to try</i>, you tried to convince yourself. The floor looked daunting. While the soft material that was placed over the wooden floor didn’t seem like a bad thing to fall on, your eyes were fixed on the corners of the table just a few feet from the bed. Surely, you’d be able to just collapse like last time. It wouldn’t go horribly wrong. Why were you so nervous?</p><p>Blowing out all the air in your lungs, your feet rooted themselves to the floor. You pushed off and half expected them to buckle like before, but they held. Wobbling slightly, you grinned as you stood up. Yes! Now you could explore the rest of the room, if you wanted. An air of inspiration hit you as the present cemented itself in your mind. Looking around, this room was a treasure trove. <i>Let’s have a look at all these strange things.</i></p><p>Doing your best not to stomp, you made your way around the room. Across from the bed was a large closet where there were many duplicates of the same hoodie. Taking one out, it was soft and the inside was fluffy. You remembered Sans saying that this was Papyrus’s room. Why did he have so many? At the bottom of the closet were more clothes, and you took it upon yourself to see if he had anything that wasn’t tan, black, grey, or orange. After finding a single pair of red shorts, you  decided to continue exploring. You found some strange objects in the top of a box with many pull-outs. They ranged in size and shape and some were very pretty colors, but what really interested you was the smell that was coming from them. Burnt and meaty, you wondered what could stink so much. You scrunched your nose. Nothing in the pull-out was the source of the smell, so surely it was somewhere else. But where? </p><p>Taking a second to look around, you wondered where Papyrus might hide something so smelly. You eyed the edge of the bed. Boxes and boxes of little figures with little red hats were tucked away, some hap-hazardly, under the bed. Each was filled with a strange yellow-brown substance. The creature was cute, and you giggled to yourself as you pulled one out. Just how many of <i>these</i> did Papyrus have? Maybe a million, and that was being conservative. Still, nothing seemed to be holding your interest.</p><p>You eyed the string board at the foot of the bed. It was long, the bottom round and black, and it was held up by a small stand. The black seemed to sparkle in the orange light of the morning, and you could feel something pulling you to investigate. Crawling, you gently touched one of the strings. </p><p>A loud noise came from the mesh box next to you, startling you. Your heart skipped a beat. <i>Fascinating!</i> Curiosity gripped you as you started to pull lightly on the other strings, finding that they all made different noises. You wondered… Picking the string board up by its longest end, you sat with it, crossing your legs to hold it better. If you placed your fingers along the neck like this… A new sound emerged and you smiled adamantly! How wonderful! And if you rolled your fingers over the strings like this? </p><p>Just as you lifted your hand in the air to strum, the door to the bedroom slammed open. You nearly lost your grip on the sound maker, fumbling to keep hold of it. Clasping the board dumbstruck, you slowly eyed a surprised Papyrus. “You’ve been rifling through my room!?” he gasped, “Wha- Why?” Papyrus rushed in, taking in everything you had strung about. Raising a brow, you watched as he turned about with his hands on his skull. It was obvious he was more than a little agitated, though he made no effort to pick up the clothes thrown from the closet. Instead, Papyrus opted on placing the little creatures back into their boxes. You noticed that he wore the same black shirt and sweatpants from the night before and the wrinkles in the clothes suggested he slept in them. Well, either way, now that he was up he could tell you more about all these interesting things you found. Leaning over, you poked his shoulder. Papyrus squinted his sockets with a raised brow silently accusing you of mischief. Pointing, you let your eyes move between him and the little fake creatures. “You… want to know what this is?” he held it up and shook it slightly, shoulders sagging.</p><p>You nodded. Trying to show that you were sorry for messing up his room, you placed the string board back on its holder with a little pout. Papyrus kept a close watch, still trying to process everything. Eventually he relented with a sigh. “This is honey,” Papyrus deadpanned. He leaned his chin on one hand while offering you the creature with the other.</p><p>As you took it, you shook your head, pointing to yourself. You were Honey. You wanted to know what that creature was. Did he not understand? Papyrus chuckled knowingly. “Sans was trying to be clever last night. Your new name is Honey, yeah, but this stuff is called honey too. It’s really sweet, but a little tart. Get it? They come in bottles shaped like bears, see?” Papyrus thumbed open the creature… the bear’s hat. </p><p>Handing the bear to you, Papyrus opened another for himself. Looking at it, you scrunch your nose. You were named after this yellow stuff, huh? When you looked up to Papyrus, you saw him drinking the contents, sighing with satisfaction when he finished. You eyed the opening of the bottle with suspicion. Something about this felt weird. Still, curious as to what your namesake tasted like, you tipped the bottle and suckled the liquid out. After one gulp you cringed, quickly handing the bottle back to Papyrus. He chuckled mischievously, your grimace holding strong. Honey may be sweet, but it was also bitter. </p><p>Were you bitter? You looked to the ground, second guessing how well your new name represented you. </p><p>“Oh don’t make that face. You were going to figure out eventually,” Papyrus hummed, suckling the bear’s hat with a goofy kind of bliss. He gave you a smirk, “If it makes you feel any better, I love honey.”</p><p>Heat washed over your face as you peeked to Papyrus. He drank a few more sips of the honey before closing the hats of both and placing them back into their box. For some reason, you felt your heart speed up and you quickly eyed the floor. What was this you were feeling? Were you getting sick again? </p><p>When you finally looked back to Papyrus, he was on his feet. His back was to you as he examined the objects pullouts of the larger box at the end of his bed. “I’m not gonna have her try any of this,” he mumbled to himself as he shut the box. He looked over to you and for some reason, his bones started to pepper orange. “Uh, right,” he coughed into his hand, “The stuff in my drawer, uhm, don’t go messing with any of that alright? That’s my…. Medicine. For when I get stressed.”</p><p>You tilted your head and raised a brow. The way he said medicine made you skeptical. “Don’t give me that look,” Papyrus grimaced, “Just don’t mess with it, alright? It’s not for lost little girls who wander in from blizzards, got it?” You huffed. Well then. Unsure of how else to continue, and slightly insulted, you nodded and stood. Papyrus looked you up and down with alarm, taking two steps back . Why did he seem so shaken? It prickled you.</p><p>“You’re standing.”</p><p>You nodded, tilting your head the other way. Was that bad? Papyrus’s hand found his socket and he squeezed his eyes shut. Was he alright? You took a step forward, hand reaching out to try to console him, but it was quickly swatted away. Stumbling back, you held your offended hand close , crouching to the floor. <i>Why? What did I do? Is it because I’m standing? Am I not supposed to stand?</i> Boy did it sting.</p><p>Papyrus stared at you, seeming to be just as shaken up about his reaction as you were. “Sh- no! Sorry!” he quickly voiced, raising his hands in front of him, “I didn’t mean that. I just… you can walk now! That’s great!” He grinned warmly.</p><p>You had seen that grin before. </p><p>Even though he apologized, you still looked down to the floor. The reason he had been so jumpy with you yesterday was because Papyrus didn’t want to touch you more than he had to. That had to be it. Why else would he have such a reaction? As his grin melted into worry, you nodded and moved to get back into bed. “You… want to go back to bed? Don’t you want to see the rest of the house?” he asked quickly, the orange on his cheeks growing when you looked back at him. </p><p>Was that ok? He must have seen your reservations about it because he came around and knelt by the bed. “It’ll be fun! I’ll explain everything you’re curious about, yeah? And then we can think about getting you your own room, doesn’t that sound nice?” Your heart sank. Was being in this room bad? You liked this room. You didn’t know if you would be alright sleeping anywhere else. Still, you nodded. The look on your face clearly didn’t reassure Papyrus, his expression becoming pensive as he stood. Waving his hand for you to follow, the two of you ventured out of the room.</p><p>The tour was actually very fun. You learned that the house was two floors tall, the top floor having Papyrus’s room, Sans’s room, and a bathroom at the far end. There was a large staircase just in front of Papyrus’s room, and while he helped you down, he explained that the staircase had a railing to keep you sturdy when traveling on it. At the bottom of the stairs was the living room, and just underneath the bathroom was a kitchen. Papyrus explained this was where Sans would make food and showed you where the dishes and cups were. He even showed you a pointy thing called a fork! Not to mention this large machine called a refrigerator that was full of food and drinks! It kept them cold all day long!</p><p>As you opened “cabinets” to look at all the different sized dishes inside, the sound of Papyrus’s chuckle had you peeking from behind their little doors. “You really don’t know anything, huh,” he hummed, a rye smirk on him. You thought for a moment. Should you know any of these things? Nothing seemed to come to mind that reminded you of anything, certainly nothing that you had forgotten. You nodded, gleaning another chuckle. This one, however, was more melancholy. “Haha, this is just great. Now there’s no way I can… Fuck. Why couldn’t she just remember where she came from?” he softly whined, his smirk running into a grimace. You pulled out a dish with a handle, deciding to study the different material that it was made of instead of paying too much attention to Papyrus’s tone. </p><p>For some reason… it made you feel bad. </p><p>“This is what you get Papyrus, always being the nice guy,” he griped, talking softly, “Just when everything is getting comfortable, it has to be something else. It’s always something. Bringing her here was the worst idea of your life! What were you thinking?” You knew he wasn’t talking to you. It was more like he was talking to himself, his frame not even facing you anymore. Why was he so upset? He seemed to care last night, seemed to want you to feel comfortable. So why…?</p><p>“Wa-” you cringed and gripped at your neck, the pain still too intense. Papyrus was behind you in an instant, a hand on your back as you fought back the urge to cough. The pain bled into an itching burn as you winced. His touch was confusing. Didn’t he dislike touching you?</p><p>He rubbed your back, gently pulling your hands away from your neck. “Hey, don’t do that,” he fretted, “I know it hurts. Gripping your neck like that won’t help.” As you struggled with the slowly subsiding pain, you turned to him. Papyrus stiffened his posture. You recognized that reserved worry he held. It was the same look he had been giving you last night. Was he forcing himself to care? Why bring you here if it was only going to cause him trouble? This feeling was familiar somehow… Did you use to cause people trouble before? Your chest hurt and you couldn’t explain why. Papyrus’s brow furrowed as you shook your head, trying to gather your thoughts. Catching him off guard, you held one of his boney hands in both of yours and squeezed them tight. *What did I do?* you mouthed, closing your eyes as a hot wetness streaked down your cheek.</p><p>“Honey?” Papyrus’s wavering voice had you shaking your head again. This was so confusing! Why were you crying? Why did you feel so bad? The smooth texture of bone brushed against your skin made you look up. Papyrus held your face, searching for something. “Hey, what’s wrong? Does it hurt that badly?”</p><p>He thought your throat was causing this pain? You cringed as you mouthed *What did I do?* again but slower. Papyrus cocked his head. “What did you do? Nothing, you didn’t do anything,” he tittered, “What makes you think you did something?” You leaned forward, pulling his hand closer to you, and mouthed *Am I bad?* </p><p>Papyrus deflated and looked away from you, his free hand finding his teeth as he furrowed brow knitted harshly. “I… was talking out loud wasn’t I?” he cringed. The two of you stared at each other for a moment before Papyrus sighed heavily, that orange dust falling on his bones as he gently tapped his forehead with the side of his fist. “Look, when I’m stressed I… talk to myself. I guess I may have sounded like… yeesh.” Papyrus swiped his hand over his face, tilting his head to the ceiling. When he finally looked back to you, his expression was sad. Wiping your eyes, you noticed a change in Papyrus’s demeanor. His laid back posture curled forward, an air of seriousness shrouding his warmth. “Can I be honest with you, without hurting your feelings?” he murmured, almost too quiet for you to hear. After a pause, you nodded, letting his fingers slip through yours. Why was he so upset that you were here?</p><p>Papyrus looked drained. Slouching and he letting his head hang at a crooked angle. “Having a Human in Monsterton, the town we’re in right now, could make the lives of every Monster here more difficult. Monster and Humans aren’t exactly on friendly terms right now. You not having any memories could also cause problems. A lot of people already think that we brainwash Humans, and with you being a blank slate… Rumors could spread that we kidnapped you or something,” he grumbled. “The Human word ‘monster’ means something entirely different from what we are. They think we’re violent and demented, out for blood and looking for souls to eat.”</p><p>You rubbed your arm, unsure of what to think. Souls to eat? What did that even mean? “You haven’t done anything wrong, Honey,” Papyrus said sternly, righting his gaze. The stoic agitation relent to resignation. “I’m just worried. I shouldn’t be taking that out on you, though. I’m sorry.” Then, as he lowered his head slightly, Papyrus gave you a lop-sided smirk.</p><p>A warmth swelled in your chest. That was a genuine smile!  You didn’t know how, but you could tell and it smoldered your heart in a way you couldn’t quite place. Before you knew it, you were smiling too. Nodding to show you understood, you pressed your hands against your chest to try to convey this feeling you were having. Papyrus sat straighter, laughing nervously as he scratched the side of his chin. “Uh, huh, I guess that made you happy? L-let’s get out of the kitchen, alright?” He slowly stood, hunching over and offering you a hand. </p><p>You stared at it for a moment, unsure of what he was doing. He raised a brow, clearly waiting for something. Then, a spark of recognition hit him. “Right. Blank Slate. I’m offering you a hand to, uh, help you up. So it’s… easier?” he shrugged. When you still looked unsure, he flashed a cheesy grin that you mimicked without hesitation. He took hold of your hand  and, with the same ease as the night before, he hoisted you to your feet. Maybe it was because he was  taller than you, but something about the way it was so easy for him to lift you up made your heart skip. <i>How can he lift anything when he’s just bone?</i> you found yourself wondering. </p><p>So curious... You caught Papyrus’s eyes and studied his face. Now that you were thinking about it, his bones didn’t act like bones at all. They showed clear expression and seemed to move like skin. It was when Papyrus glanced to the side that you moved closer, a hand finding its place against his ribs. To your astonishment, his chest rose as if he were taking a breath. Studying closer, you let your fingers run over the sternum and collar bone. How did you know those terms? You furrowed your brow. Touching him was making you almost recall. A bolt of excitement went through you, and you quickly flipped your hand to study his. Yes! Carpas, Metacarpals, the Phalanxes. You knew these bones. But how? Beaming, you looked back up to your friend and were struck by that strange sickening feeling again. Papyrus was practically glowing with blush, his strained shock making your heart skip. Your cheeks flushed, but you didn’t know why. What was this… recognition?</p><p> The moment was short lived, however, as Papyrus quickly took back his hand and stepped away.</p><p>“Hahahaha,” he jittered, “I-is it getting hot in here? I’m… gonna open a window.” You cocked your head as Papyrus left the kitchen and moved into the living room quickly. You thought the room was a normal temperature. Ah! You knew about temperatures too! Trailing behind, you watched him go to a window near… a small bed? No, it didn’t look like the bed upstairs. You’d have to ask him about it, but before you could Papyrus stuck half of his body out the window. For a moment, you thought he was going to fall, half of his person leaning out the frame as he gasped heavily. Before you could think to help he slipped back in with a heavy sigh. “Thank the stars it’s still so cold out there,” he murmured, “I thought I was going to explode.”</p><p>Explode? Oh no. You looked at your hands. Did you have the ability to make people explode? You just wanted to remember. For a moment, you thought maybe… Maybe you should have asked before touching him. When Papyrus turned back to you, his face was still bright orange. “Hehe, what do you say we start making plans for your new room, ok?” he chuckled. He was fine? He even seemed… relieved? Was touching him ok, then? </p><p>Oh! Now you were even more confused than before... </p><p>Papyrus rubbed the back of his neck as he walked past you, motioning for you to follow. Looking back at the strange bed, you decided that you would ask about it later. The two of you walked up the stairs. Papyrus stopped and studied the top floor for a second, tapping at his chin as he thought. “Hmmm,” he murmured, “If I take some space out of my room and push Sans’s over to the side a bit…” You looked over to him. He had said the two of you would be making plans for your room, but you were certain he already had some. You tugged against the side of his shirt and cocked your head to the side when he glanced over. “So, right, I’m gonna make a third room up here,” he started, moving over to the wall. He placed a hand on the blankwood between the two doorways.  “Sans’s room and my room don’t take up the whole floor, but my room is bigger. If I moved Sans’s over a little and then squished mine a little we should be able to fit a nice sized bedroom for you between us.” Papyrus opened his arms between the rooms, grinning at you as if you were supposed to understand how exactly he would go about doing such a thing. You weren’t exactly sure how rooms were made, but you were sure  it would take some time. What were the three of you going to do until it was finished?</p><p>He must have seen the confusion, as it was probably the most common look you had, and brought a finger to his teeth as he thought out loud. “Maybe I should wait for Sans to come home before doing this,” he hummed. Now that he mentioned it, you hadn’t seen the smaller skeleton all morning. Where had he gone? Just as you started to look around, Papyrus explained, “Sans leaves the house every morning to deliver papers and then to go to the gym for a workout with his training partner Alphys. If he can keep you a secret, we won’t have to deal with a hungry hippo rampaging through the house.”</p><p>Hungry… Hippo? Nothing of what Papyrus said made any sense to you, but you nodded nonetheless. Despite not being able to talk, you were starting to get tired of having nothing to say. A hand found itself against your neck. How much longer would it hurt before you could speak for yourself? Just as you were falling into self-doubt, Papyrus was there to gently take your hand from your neck once again. “What did I say before? Pressing against your neck is only going to irritate the esophagus more. If it hurts, point at it for me and I’ll get you something to soothe the pain, alright?” You couldn’t look at him. He was misunderstanding you again, but it wasn’t his fault you couldn’t make the words. You nodded, a sigh escaping your taller friend as he took a step back. </p><p>“Now, what kind of things do you like?” He asked. </p><p>As if you could answer.</p><p>It didn’t seem to deter him though, as Papyrus reached behind him and pulled out a few stacks of glossy flaps with images on them that seemed entirely perfect. You beamed, looking them over with interest when he handed them to you. “These are called Magazines. They help a lot of girls figure out who they are and what they like. I mean, at least I think they do. I never see a girl around town without one.” Papyrus gave you a sheepish grin as you eagerly flipped through the magazine. They all looked so clean and divinely perfect that you wondered if anything on them was real. Surely not. There was no way people could look so perfect! </p><p>What did you look like exactly…?</p><p>Before you could indicate anything, Papyrus handed you a fatter pencil. You raised a brow. He knew you couldn’t write, so why would he hand you this? “When you find something you like, just circle it. Like this,” he hummed, taking the top part of the pencil off and drawing a round shape over a letter on the front of the Magazine. You eyed the strange marking. It wasn’t like the dull scrapings that the pencil made last night. Thinking back, the pencil before didn’t need it’s top taken off, and it most certainly didn’t smell so bad. It made your head feel a bit funny when you took a sniff, and you quickly wiped the smell away. The sound of Papyrus’s chuckle was becoming familiar to you, and when you heard it you knew you must have done something strange. “This is called a marker,” he gestured to your p-marker, “and it writes with ink, not carbon. That’s what a pencil writes with, lead carbon. Got it?”</p><p>You nodded and quickly started to comb through the pages of the magazines. There were many things that you liked in these magazines, but nothing really made you want to make a circle for it. There were different shades and many hues, a lot of glitterings and so many perfections that it all seemed… too much. You didn’t know any of this. All of it seemed… alien. </p><p>It got you thinking. Why didn’t any of this seem familiar to you? If you were a human girl who wandered in from a blizzard, as you believed you were since you had no reason to think otherwise, why didn’t these things bring back any memories? Did you not like magazines before?  Looking at them, you thought that surely wasn’t the case. They did seem interesting, though they weren’t particularly gripping. Maybe you never got into the habit of reading them. Not that you could read now… </p><p>Soon you started to just push one magazine after the other to the floor from the small pile in your arms. It caused Papyrus to raise a brow, but you weren’t paying much attention to him. Something, anything!  There had to be something that made you feel… </p><p>The last magazine in your hand gave you pause.  There was a house… made of wood. Large pieces of wood. You knew it was wood because… you had come from the woods. Your heart started to bolt as you flipped through the pages, making circles after circles, eyes darting from one page to the next as everything seemed to make you more and more excited. Yes, yes, yes! This was what you liked, more than anything! And this! You like this even more than the last! Your hand could not stop until you came upon a page that was just of a single picture. A small home far off in the distance surrounded by woods in the dead of night, but that wasn’t what made you gasp. It was the fullest, most beautiful celestial body you had ever seen.</p><p>A full moon. </p><p>You circled it with vigor, turning it over and shoving it into Papyrus’s face. This, this was what you liked! “Alright, alright,” he chortled, “I get the picture. Let me have a look.” As he took the magazine from your hands, Papyrus gently pet your head. He flipped through the pages slowly, studying them as he had studied the wall with his chip pinched between his thumb and fore-finger. You eyed each page, appreciating everything all over again as it showed itself. You eyed Papyrus, trying to see if he appreciated it as much as you did. Though… you weren’t quite sure why you wanted him to like these things too. “Cottage Living, huh? Guess I shouldn’t be surprised that the girl who wandered in from the forest likes plants,” he sighed, glazing over with a rye grin, “Might have roots there.”</p><p>Now it was your turn to raise a brow. What were… roots? “Hmm. That was parsley a good one anyway,” he hummed before eyeing you again. You tilted your head. Papyrus’s face went flat and he waved you off. “Anyway, I think I got a good idea of what you want. Just let me-” You quickly took the magazine from him and started flipping through the pages. “Hey! That’s not very ferny!” This time you heard him snickering to himself, but you quickly turned to the page you were looking for. Hoping it wouldn’t damage the gloss, you folded the magazine in half and pointed at the moon rapidly. “What? What’s this? You want the moon in your room?” Your head bobbed at a speed you didn’t know it was capable of, your finger rapping against the page with intensity. This was what you really wanted. Papyrus scratched his chin and squinted at the picture, bending his knees slightly to get a good look at it. “I don’t know if the moon would fit in your room, Honey.” he flashed you a look of mischief, but your heart sank. </p><p>But… this was what you really wanted.</p><p>Seeing your change in demeanor hand Papyrus chuckling nervously as he waved his hands in front of you. “Hey, hey, no I was only kidding. I can find a way, yeah? You want the moon, you got the moon,” he said hastily before turning his back to you. “N-now stand back. This might have a kick to it.” You took a few steps back, a bit confused, opting to take a few steps down the stairs and hide just beneath the landing. When Papyrus looked back to see where you were, that same orange dust fell on his bones and he shook his head with a chuckle, “Stars, why does she have to be so… Right. The room. Gotta make it just right.”</p><p>Papyrus planted two hands against the blank wall and you heard a deep exhale. Then there was a loud pop and a flash of brilliant orange that made you duck down further. Sounds of wood splintering and the house groaning roared in your ears, a strange wind blew furiously all around! You were thankful you took the position that you did! Soon, everything died down, and you gained the courage to peek above the landing again. Papyrus panted heavily, slumping to his knees in front of a new door that looked just like the other two. You gawked. Just how in the world…! </p><p>With great hesitation, you pushed yourself up, but didn’t venture further than the top step. “Don’t worry, ha, ha, it just took a lot out of me,” Papyrus huffed, giving a large and cheesy grin. It made you wonder. You took a tentative first step, looking around the hall to make sure it was safe, and hurried over to kneel by Papyrus. “Should’ve waited for Sans to get here,” he grimaced to himself before turning to you, “Why don’t you check it out? I tried really hard, and believe me. I never try to do much of anything.” There was that warm smile again, but you could tell he was in distress. Looking to the door, you wondered for a moment if you should help Papyrus first. “Don’t mind me,” he included, seeming to be able to read your mind now, “I’ll be better in a few minutes. Ha,just gotta sit for a minute.” Just as he said as much, Papyrus rolled over to the side of the door and leaned against the wall. “See? I’ll be better in no time.”</p><p><i>Then why smile at me like you’re hiding something?</i> you wondered. </p><p>Still, he had gone through all this trouble… somehow. It would only be right to look at the room. That’s how you felt anyway. You stood and gently pushed the door ajar, peeking in before opening it wide for a better view. It was beautiful. The walls were a blanch color, but they were lined with beautiful flowers and other plants that held your fancy from the magazine. There was a large box with many harder magazines that had beautiful writing on their sides. The floor was covered in a soft green material that reminded you of grass, but wasn’t. There was an end table with a small light source that looked to be shaped like a star, and a larger light source in the far corner with petaling fixtures. There even seemed to be smaller lights that were fixed all around the wall’s top edge. Your bed was large enough for you and at least one other person, the covers a deep green with a pattern of vines along the top material, and you had your own little table that was close to the floor. But what you were in awe of was the ceiling. It was dark and speckled, almost glittering, and just adjacent to your bed was a beautiful depiction of the moon. If you didn’t know it was day outside, you could have sworn there wasn’t a roof at all in this room. </p><p>“Pretty sweet huh?” Papyrus startled you when his voice appeared next to you, along with...well… the rest of him. “We can get you a desk and some clothes later if you want, but this should be fine for now, don’t you think?” He turned to you with a raised brow, trying to gauge your reaction you were sure. There was only one thing you could think of doing, and with no shame or self-doubts you flung yourself against Papyrus’s ribs. He wheezed as you knocked the wind out of him, your arms constricting as hard as they could. For some reason this felt like a very special thing. Something that you didn’t even know was possible. Something you had never thought you’d have. Why didn’t you think you’d ever have something like this room? As you buried your head against his sternum, nuzzling vigorously, you felt your cheeks growing hot and that familiar prickling in your eyes so you decided to keep them shut. “Hahaha, easy Honey, easy. I’m glad you like it,” Papyrus managed to say. He gently hugged you back before prying you off his midsection. When he saw what state you were in he only chuckled and wiped away the stray tears that managed to escape you. “I’m gonna take those as tears of joy,” he grinned warmly, making you falter for a moment, “Now, why don’t I show you what Television is. It’ll help pass the time while we wait for Sans to come home.”</p><p>With a soft pat on your arm, Papyrus started down the stairs. You watched for a moment, not being able to place this strange feeling you had. Why had he smiled like that again? You twittled your fingers for a moment, beginning to second guess embracing him so earnestly. Before it got too bad, Papyrus called from a few steps down. “You coming, Honey?”</p><p>Fisting your hands, you nodded to yourself and took one more look at your room. It really was stunning, and you would have to find a way to thank him. Closing the door as you left, you hurried after your tall skeletal friend.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Phew, this took some time, but I'm actually having a lot of fun writing this! It's such an interesting angle to work off of and I keep having to remind myself that there are things in this world that Honey wouldn't know about! It's so exciting figuring out this character along with Swap Papyrus! Thank you all for reading, it really means a lot to me! More to come.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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